11 Year Old Checkup

Ben had his 11 year old check-up today. It was nice to see that for the first time he was very mature about the shots he needed (tetanus and meningitis). He also had a finger prick to check his cholesterol, which he said hurt more than either of the shots. His cholesterol is a stellar 120 and the nurse told him whatever he is eating, to keep doing it. Later Ben turned to me and said, "I didn't want to tell her I haven't been eating all that well lately -- a lot of french fries and barbecue chicken sandwiches!"

We recently switched primaries because our original one retired, and the new one is a male doctor. I think this will be good for Ben, as he spent most of the time talking to Ben about the Sixers' roster and advising him what kind of foods to eat and how much rest to get so that he can maximize his growth potential and be able to dunk the ball some day. I don't know how much of the talk went in one ear and out the other, but it seemed like a good try anyway :)

Ben measured at 62 1/4 inches and 87.8 pounds which is 98th percentile for height and 69th percentile for weight. The doctor was pleased with the 8 pounds and 2 1/4 inches he has gained in the 11 months since his last checkup. It's been his best annual weight gain in a while. After the appointment-- which lasted kind of a long time because after the finger prick they made him lie down for 15 minutes as a fainting precaution even though he felt fine-- I took him out for a burrito and ice cream.